Southport (UK Parliament constituency)

Southport is a constituency[n 1] in Merseyside which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Damien Moore of the Conservative Party.[n 2]

Not to be confused with Electoral district of Southport.

Southport
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Southport in Merseyside
Location of Merseyside within England
CountyMerseyside
Electorate67,803 (December 2010)[1]
Major settlementsSouthport
Current constituency
Created1885
Member of ParliamentDamien Moore (Conservative)
Number of membersOne
Created fromSouth West Lancashire

Boundaries
Southport in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974-83

1885–1918: The Borough of Southport, the Sessional Division of Southport, and the parishes of Blundell, Great and Little Crosby, Ince, and Thornton.

1918–1983: The County Borough of Southport.

1983–present: The Metropolitan Borough of Sefton wards of Ainsdale, Birkdale, Cambridge, Dukes, Kew, Meols, and Norwood.

The constituency covers the whole town of Southport and the localities of Ainsdale, Birkdale, Blowick, Churchtown, Crossens, Highpark, Hillside, Kew, Marshside, Meols Cop, and Woodvale. It is bordered to the north by South Ribble, to the east by West Lancashire, and to the south by Sefton Central.

History

Prominent members

In the 19th century a notable representative was George Nathaniel Curzon, future Viceroy of India.

In the 20th century, outside politics, Edward Marshall Hall was a notable trial barrister (KC) and Sir John Fowler Leece Brunner was the son of the leading industrialist Sir John Tomlinson Brunner.

As a frontbencher, long-serving representative Robert Hudson was recognised at the time of World War II as a competent Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in charge of that department, and was made, to give him a peerage, a viscount.[n 3]

Political history

The constituency has been a Liberal or Conservative seat throughout its history, and marginal for much of this, enabling it to change hands 11 times between the parties since it was created in 1885, having had nine Conservative MPs and eight Liberal or Liberal Democrat MPs in its history.

During the nadir of the Liberal Party (from the 1930s to the 1960s) the constituency became a safe Conservative seat, with absolute majorities from 1931 until 1970 inclusive.

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott ran for Labour for the seat in 1966 and came in second place.

With the rise again of the Liberal Party in the early 1970s, election results proved to be close contests. The constituency changed hands in the 1987 general election, when it was taken by Ronnie Fearn of the Liberal Party for the SDP-Liberal Alliance (shortly before the two parties merged to form the Liberal Democrats). Fearn had contested the seat unsuccessfully for the Liberals throughout the 1970s.

Fearn lost the seat to the Conservatives' Matthew Banks at the 1992 election (one of the few Conservative gains at that election), only to regain it at the 1997 election. The Liberal Democrats held the seat (under John Pugh after Fearn stood down in 2001) until 2017.

In the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union, the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, of which the constituency is a part, voted to remain in the European Union by 51.9%.[2] Given its demography, it is estimated that Southport voted to remain by 54%.[3]

The seat was one of the eight Liberal Democrat seats that survived the national vote share collapse during the 2015 general election, despite a higher-than-average drop in the Liberal Democrats' vote share. Pugh opted not to seek re-election in the 2017 general election, in which election the seat returned to the Conservatives, the only seat the Tories gained from the Liberal Democrats in 2017 (aside from Richmond Park, which they had gained at a 2016 by-election). A resurgent Labour vote pushed the Liberal Democrats into third place for the first time since 1966 with the seat now becoming a somewhat unlikely Tory-Labour marginal, with just under 3,000 votes between the two major parties. If Labour were to win this seat at the next general election while holding its existing seats in Merseyside, it would mark the first time Labour (or indeed any party) has won every constituency in the county.

Constituency profile

Workless claimants (registered jobseekers) were in November 2012 close to the national average of 3.8%, at 4.0% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.[4]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMember[5]Party
1885George Augustus PilkingtonLiberal
1886George CurzonConservative
1898 by-electionSir Herbert Naylor-LeylandLiberal
1899 by-electionGeorge Augustus PilkingtonLiberal
1900Edward Marshall HallConservative
1906John Meir AstburyLiberal
1910Godfrey Dalrymple-WhiteConservative
1923John BrunnerLiberal
1924Godfrey Dalrymple-WhiteConservative
1931Robert HudsonConservative
1952 by-electionRoger Fleetwood-HeskethConservative
1959Ian PercivalConservative
1987 Ronnie Fearn Liberal
1988 Liberal Democrats
1992Matthew BanksConservative
1997Ronnie FearnLiberal Democrats
2001John PughLiberal Democrats
2017Damien MooreConservative

Elections

Elections in the 2010s
General election 2019: Southport[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Damien Moore 22,914 47.6 +8.9
Labour Liz Savage 18,767 39.0 +6.4
Liberal Democrats John Wright 6,499 13.5 −12.9
Majority 4,147 8.6 +2.5
Turnout 48,180 68.0 -1.1
Conservative hold Swing 1.3
General election 2017: Southport[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Damien Moore 18,541 38.7 +10.7
Labour Liz Savage 15,627 32.6 +13.4
Liberal Democrats Sue McGuire 12,661 26.4 −4.6
UKIP Terry Durrance 1,127 2.4 −14.5
Majority 2,914 6.1 +9.1
Turnout 47,956 69.1 +3.6
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing 1.4
General election 2015: Southport[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Pugh 13,652 31.0 −18.6
Conservative Damien Moore 12,330 28.0 −7.8
Labour Liz Savage 8,468 19.2 +9.8
UKIP Terry Durrance 7,429 16.8 +11.7
Green Laurence Rankin 1,230 2.8 N/A
Southport Party Jacqueline Barlow 992 2.2 N/A
Majority 1,322 3.0 -10.8
Turnout 44,101 65.5 +0.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing −5.4
General election 2010: Southport[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Pugh 21,707 49.6 +3.3
Conservative Brenda Porter 15,683 35.8 −1.2
Labour Jim Conalty 4,116 9.4 −3.4
UKIP Terry Durrance 2,251 5.1 +3.3
Majority 6,024 13.8 +4.5
Turnout 43,757 65.1 +4.1
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +2.2

Elections in the 2000s
General election 2005: Southport[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Pugh 19,093 46.3 +2.5
Conservative Mark S. Bigley 15,255 37.0 +0.5
Labour Paul Brant 5,277 12.8 −3.8
UKIP Terry Durrance 749 1.8 +0.5
Your Party Bill Givens 589 1.4 N/A
Veritas Harry Forster 238 0.6 N/A
Majority 3,838 9.3 +2.0
Turnout 41,201 61.0 +1.4
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +1.0
General election 2001: Southport[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats John Pugh 18,011 43.8 −4.3
Conservative Laurence Jones 15,004 36.5 +0.5
Labour Paul Brant 6,816 16.6 +4.4
Liberal David Green 767 1.9 +1.1
UKIP Gerry Kelley 555 1.3 N/A
Majority 3,007 7.3 -4.9
Turnout 41,153 58.6 −13.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s
General election 1997: Southport[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ronnie Fearn 24,356 48.1 +6.6
Conservative Matthew Banks 18,186 35.9 −11.1
Labour Sarah Norman 6,129 12.1 +1.9
Referendum Frank Buckle 1,368 2.7 N/A
Liberal Susan Ashton 386 0.8 N/A
Natural Law Elizabeth Lines 93 0.2 −0.1
National Democrats Michael Middleton 92 0.2 N/A
Majority 6,170 12.2 N/A
Turnout 50,610 72.1 −5.5
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +8.9
General election 1992: Southport[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matthew Banks 26,081 47.0 +2.5
Liberal Democrats Ronnie Fearn 23,018 41.5 −6.4
Labour James King 5,637 10.2 +3.8
Green Justin Walker 545 1.0 −0.2
Natural Law Geoffrey Clements 159 0.3 N/A
Majority 3,063 5.5 N/A
Turnout 55,440 77.6 +1.3
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats Swing +4.5

Elections in the 1980s
General election 1987: Southport[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Ronnie Fearn 26,110 47.9 +7.4
Conservative Nigel Thomas 24,261 44.5 −5.9
Labour Audrey Moore 3,483 6.4 −1.9
Green Justin Walker 653 1.2 N/A
Majority 1,849 3.4 N/A
Turnout 54,507 76.3 +3.8
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +6.7
General election 1983: Southport[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Percival 25,612 50.4 −0.4
Liberal Iain Brodie Browne 20,573 40.5 +2.5
Labour Francis Brady 4,233 8.3 −2.9
Independent Kevin Wood 374 0.7 N/A
Majority 5,039 9.9 −2.9
Turnout 50,792 72.5 −2.2
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s
General election 1979: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Percival 25,953 50.8 +3.6
Liberal Ronnie Fearn 19,426 38.0 +2.3
Labour I.Gari James 5,725 12.8 −4.3
Majority 6,527 12.8 +1.3
Turnout 51,104 74.7 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Percival 23,014 47.2 ±0.0
Liberal Ronnie Fearn 17,387 35.7 −3.9
Labour I.Gari James 8,323 17.1 +3.9
Majority 5,627 11.5 +3.9
Turnout 48,724 73.7 −3.7
Conservative hold Swing
General election February 1974: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Percival 23,975 47.2 −3.0
Liberal Ronnie Fearn 20,093 39.6 +9.4
Labour Peter R. Ward 6,690 13.2 −6.4
Majority 3,882 7.6 -12.8
Turnout 50,758 77.4 +6.9
Conservative hold Swing −6.2
General election 1970: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Percival 22,950 50.2 −0.8
Liberal Ronnie Fearn 13,809 30.2 +10.5
Labour Bruce George 8,950 19.6 −9.6
Majority 9,141 20.0 −1.2
Turnout 45,709 70.5 −2.2
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1960s
General election 1966: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Percival 22,324 51.0 -0.9
Labour John Prescott 12,798 29.2 +4.1
Liberal C. Jack Coleman 8,630 19.7 -3.3
Majority 9,526 21.8 -4.9
Turnout 43,752 72.7 -3.8
Conservative hold Swing -2.5
General election 1964: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Percival 23,917 51.9 -4.1
Labour Leonard Goldwater 11,572 25.1 +4.7
Liberal C. Jack Coleman 10,609 23.0 -0.5
Majority 12,345 26.7 -5.8
Turnout 46,098 76.5 -0.3
Conservative hold Swing -4.4

Elections in the 1950s
General election 1959: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Percival 26,905 56.0 -14.2
Liberal Sam Goldberg 11,292 23.5 +23.5
Labour Charles W Hadfield 9,805 20.4 -9.4
Majority 15,613 32.5 -8.0
Turnout 48,002 76.8 +8.0
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1955: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh 30,268 70.2 +10.0
Labour Peter Cameron 12,827 29.8 +5.0
Majority 17,441 40.4 +4.9
Turnout 43,095 68.8 -8.9
Conservative hold Swing +2.5
1952 Southport by-election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Roger Fleetwood-Hesketh 24,589 62.0 +1.8
Labour Alan Lever Tillotson 11,310 28.5 +3.7
Liberal Hubert Bentliff 3,776 9.5 -5.5
Majority 13,279 33.5 -1.8
Turnout 39,675
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1951: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Hudson 30,388 60.2 +3.9
Labour H Owen Ellis 12,535 24.8 -2.0
Liberal Hubert Bentliff 7,576 15.0 -1.9
Majority 17,853 35.4 +5.9
Turnout 50,499 77.7 -4.1
Conservative hold Swing +2.9
General election 1950: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Hudson 29,766 56.3 +3.6
Labour J P Bonney 14,159 26.8 +0.0
Liberal Harry Ellington 8,933 16.9 -3.6
Majority 15,607 29.5 +3.6
Turnout 52,858 81.8 +7.6
Conservative hold Swing +1.8

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Hudson 26,792 52.7 -19.5
Labour William Hamling 13,596 26.8 -1.0
Liberal Robert Martin 10,404 20.5
Majority 13,196 25.9 -18.5
Turnout 50,792 74.2 +3.3
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1935: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Hudson 29,652 72.2 +3.8
Labour Robert Carrington-Willis 11,419 27.8
Majority 18,233 44.4 +7.6
Turnout 41,071 70.9 -8.8
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1931: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Hudson 30,307 68.4 +20.1
Liberal Moelwyn Hughes 13,983 31.6 -7.8
Majority 16,324 36.8 +27.9
Turnout 44,290 79.7 +0.1
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1929: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Godfrey Dalrymple-White 21,161 48.3 -12.7
Liberal Cecil Ramage 17,220 39.4 +0.4
Labour Arthur Leonard Williams 5,380 12.3 n/a
Majority 3,941 8.9 -13.1
Turnout 43,761 79.6 +1.2
Unionist hold Swing -6.6
General election 1924: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Godfrey Dalrymple-White 17,430 61.0 +12.8
Liberal John Brunner 11,158 39.0 -12.8
Majority 6,272 22.0
Turnout 28,588 78.7 +2.8
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing
Brunner
General election 1923: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Brunner 13,704 51.8 +5.0
Unionist Thomas Comyn-Platt 12,776 48.2 -5.0
Majority 928 3.6
Turnout 26,480 75.9 -0.4
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +5.0
General election 1922: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Godfrey Dalrymple-White 13,733 53.2 -18.8
Liberal John Brunner 12,068 46.8 n/a
Majority 1,665 6.4 -37.6
Turnout 25,801 76.3 +14.7
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1910s
General election 1918: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Godfrey Dalrymple-White 14,707 72.0 +19.7
Labour Arthur Greenwood 5,727 28.0 n/a
Majority 8,980 44.0 +39.4
Turnout 20,434 61.6 -24.0
Unionist hold Swing
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.
Woodcock
General election December 1910: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Godfrey Dalrymple-White 7,467 52.3 +0.9
Liberal H. B. D. Woodcock 6,798 47.7 -0.9
Majority 669 4.6 +1.8
Turnout 14,265 85.6 -3.6
Conservative hold Swing
General election January 1910: Southport
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Godfrey Dalrymple-White 7,637 51.4 +2.3
Liberal Maurice de Forest 7,218 48.6 -2.3
Majority 419 2.8
Turnout 14,855 89.2 +1.9
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing

Elections in the 1900s
Astbury
General election 1906: Southport[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Astbury 6,607 50.9 +1.9
Conservative Edward Marshall Hall 6,367 49.1 -1.9
Majority 240 1.8 N/A
Turnout 12,974 87.3 +5.0
Registered electors 14,854
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +1.9
General election 1900: Southport[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Marshall Hall 5,522 51.0 −3.0
Liberal George Augustus Pilkington 5,313 49.0 +3.0
Majority 209 2.0 −6.0
Turnout 10,835 82.3 −0.7
Registered electors 13,164
Conservative hold Swing −3.0

Elections in the 1890s
Pilkington
By-election 30 May 1899: Southport[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Augustus Pilkington 5,635 52.7 +6.7
Conservative Charles Balfour 5,052 47.3 −6.7
Majority 583 5.4 N/A
Turnout 10,687 84.4 +1.4
Registered electors 12,656
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +6.7
  • Caused by Naylor-Leyland's death.
By-election 24 Aug 1898: Southport[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Herbert Naylor-Leyland 5,100 51.4 +5.4
Conservative Edward Bootle-Wilbraham 4,828 48.6 -5.4
Majority 272 2.8 N/A
Turnout 9,928 80.1 -2.9
Registered electors 12,395
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +5.4
General election 1895: Southport[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Curzon 5,162 54.0 +0.6
Liberal Herbert Naylor-Leyland 4,399 46.0 -0.6
Majority 763 8.0 +1.2
Turnout 9,561 83.0 -1.6
Registered electors 11,523
Conservative hold Swing +0.6
General election 1892: Southport[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Curzon 4,752 53.4 +0.1
Liberal George Pollard 4,148 46.6 -0.1
Majority 604 6.8 +0.2
Turnout 8,900 84.6 +1.8
Registered electors 10,514
Conservative hold Swing +0.1

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1886: Southport[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Curzon 3,723 53.3 +4.4
Liberal George Augustus Pilkington 3,262 46.7 -4.4
Majority 461 6.6 N/A
Turnout 6,985 82.8 -4.0
Registered electors 8,437
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +4.4
General election 1885: Southport[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George Augustus Pilkington 3,741 51.1 N/A
Conservative John Edwards-Moss 3,581 48.9 N/A
Majority 160 2.2 N/A
Turnout 7,322 86.8 N/A
Registered electors 8,437
Liberal win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references
Notes
  1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
  3. This is above the usual barony in the peerage.
References
  1. "Electorate Figures – Boundary Commission for England". 2011 Electorate Figures. Boundary Commission for England. 4 March 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. "EU Referendum Results". BBC News. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  3. "Revised estimates of Leave vote share in Westminster constituencies". Medium. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  4. Unemployment claimants by constituency The Guardian
  5. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 4)
  6. "Southport Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  7. "Southport parliamentary constituency". BBC News.
  8. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. "Southport". BBC News. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  10. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  11. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. "UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  16. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.

Sources
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